page_title: Paratrooper
section_title: India
hierarchical_section_title: Paratrooper / History / India
caption_attribution_description: English: Indian Army's Elite Para Commando
context_page_description: A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into an operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists and parachutes were first used on a large scale during World War II for troop distribution and transportation. Paratroopers are often used in surprise attacks, to seize strategic objectives such as airfields or bridges.
context_section_description: The Parachute Regiment is the Special Forces/airborne regiment of the Indian Army. Regiment was formed in 1952
  The regiment has a total of 14 regular, one Rashtriya Rifles and two Territorial Army (India) battalions; of the regular bns, five are Airborne battalions, while nine are Special Forces battalions. Formerly designated "Commando" units, they are now designated Special Forces:
  Three of the Special Forces battalions were originally trained for use in certain environments; 1st Bn [strategic reserve], 9th Bn [mountain] and 10th Bn [desert].  Subsequently, the 21st Bn was raised for jungle warfare.  Currently, all Special Forces battalions are cross trained for all environments.
  The 8th Battalion became 16th Battalion, Mahar Regiment in 1976 before reconverting to the 12th Battalion, Mechanised Infantry Regiment. A sizable part of the battalion was retained in the airborne role for some time, forming the armoured element of the 50th (Independent) Parachute Brigade and equipped with their BMP-2 Infantry Combat Vehicles.  But due to administrative and logistic reasons, it was discontinued and their role being taken over by the para battalions themselves, with a platoon strength of each battalion being trained and equipped for the mechanized role within the brigade.
  The 50th (Independent) Parachute Brigade comprises the following units:
  03 Airborne battalions
  01 Parachute Field Regiment (Artillery) (9 & 17 Parachute Field Regiments in rotation)
  60 Parachute Field Hospital
  411 (Independent) Parachute Field Company (Bombay Sappers)
  622 Parachute Composite Company (ASC)
  50th (Independent) Parachute Brigade OFP (Ordnance)
  50th (Independent) Parachute Brigade Signal Company
  2 (Independent) Parachute Field Workshop Company (EME)
  252 (Para) Air Defence Battery
  ( 50th (Independent) Parachute Brigade Provost Section.
  The President's Body Guard also forms part of the brigade as the pathfinders company.
  Three Airborne units in rotation form part of the Parachute Brigade alternatively serving their field tenures in counter-insurgency/high altitude areas.  One of the two field regiments (9 Para Fd Regt and 17 Para Fd Regt) also forms part of the brigade while the other serves out its field tenure on rotation.
  The two Territorial Army battalions, 106th (Bangalore) and 116th (Deolali) form the airborne element of the Terriers (as the Territorial Army is popularly known) and are presently involved in COIN operations.
  31st Battalion (Commando), Rashtriya Rifles, is also affiliated to the Parachute Regiment, for special operations conducted by the counter-insurgency force.
caption: Elite soldiers of Indian Army's 9 Para Commandos
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